History of Canadian Hockey

All people are divided into those who love and do not like hockey. For someone, it’s just a game where 2 teams run on skates with sticks on the ice and are eager to score a goal with the puck into the opponent’s goal. For Canadians, this is not just a game, for them it is a real religion, which they are ready to worship without rest.

This stereotype is due to the fact that hockey originated in Canada. But, if you try to delve into history, is this really so?

According to official data, hockey originated in Montreal. But there are some doubts. In the paintings written by Dutch artists of the 16th century, people can be found on the ice, which played something similar to modern hockey. And this is not an isolated example. But it’s best to believe official sources, so let’s turn to them.

The first game of hockey took place in Canada, namely in Montreal in 1875 on March 3. This is reported to us by local newspapers. She was 2 teams of nine people who tried to drive a wooden puck into the opponent’s goal. And the form of hockey players was exactly the same as that of baseball players.

Hockey in Canada for a few years of its existence has become very popular. The governor-general even had a goblet from the rings of the pyramid. The Cup was presented to that amateur hockey team, which became the best.

Canadian hockey, despite its incredible popularity until 1910, was considered only an amateur sport in this country. But a little later hockey, Canada merged together. And since the 10th of the 20th century, the game has already moved to a professional level. At this time, and the first national team in Canada to play hockey. Up until 1877, hockey teams were only amateurs, and not professional players in hockey.

The first match for Canada ended enchantingly. The national team of Switzerland was crushed to the nines with a score of 8: 1. After that, Canada was waiting for some victories in hockey tickets, but the loudest of them took place in 1949 at the World Championships in Stockholm, when Canada defeated Denmark with a score of 47: 0. Such a stunning account does not even fit into your head. Of course, Canadians did not always win. So, for example, they suffered a shameful defeat from the USSR with a score of 1:11.

But let’s return to the main question – this is the history of the formation of the Canadian national hockey team. On a temporary stretch from 1920 to 1963, the national team included players who won and won the Allan Cup. This period of time for Canadian hockey players is considered the luckiest. After all, it was at this time that the Canadian hockey players received the greatest number of awards: 6 gold medals from the Olympics and 19 gold medals of the world championship.

Since the year 62 of the last century, David Bauer suggested that amateurs throughout the country be involved in the Canadian national hockey team. This happened because, since 1954, after Soviet hockey players and Canadian players came to the world hockey, they were increasingly losing to them.

But here it’s not just the victories of the USSR, even before they came, the Canadians did not win all the championships, for example, Canada won 18 out of 18 world championships, but then the situation also began to change in favor of Canada.

In addition to the Soviet Union, Canadians began to appear and other dangerous competitors, which have grown to their level – Finland, Czechoslovakia and Sweden.

When Canadians were leaders in hockey, they only lost 2 times to other teams. Defeats happened in 1936 to the British team, which in turn consisted of players who were Canadians, but were born in the UK, and also in 1949 in Czechoslovakia.

In a time span of 50-60 years, Canada won and won 3 gold medals of the world championship, but, unfortunately, these were the last victories. Success went to the side of hockey players of the USSR.

The main unsolvable problem for Canadians was that its players were professional hockey players, but they could not participate in the World Cup. Therefore, Canadians in the 70-77 years left IIHF. This did not please the functionaries IIHF, so it was decided to allow professionals to participate in international competitions. But this did not help the Canadians to regain their leading positions.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1994, Canadians could again rejoice in new victories. If we talk about the glory of the national team of Canada, then they are leaders in the won gold medals at the Olympics.

Over the past eight years, Canada has been able to regain its hockey glory in full. The team won the Olympics in 2002 and 2010, three times the world champion in 2003, 2004 and 2007, and also received three silver medals in 2005, 2008 and 2009. As for the finals, the Canadians lost only to Russia. Rivalry in the world of hockey is between Canada and Russia since the days of the super series of 72 and 74 years of the 20th century.

By super-series means several matches, which take place in turn first in Canada, then in Russia. In the first of these series won the national team of Canada. In 74, the USSR won. According to the results of four matches, the score was 2: 2. And after, already in the Russian capital, Canada lost. Since then, and there is a rivalry between Canada and the Soviet Union. Today, instead of the USSR and Canada, Russia is fighting.

For all time at the head of the Canadian team stood a huge number of trainers. Almost every new world championship, the Olympics were just competitions represented by different coaches, but there were those who very long coached the Canadian team. For example, you can name the name of Dave King, who led Canada for the longest period – from 83 to 92 years.

Players in the Canadian hockey team were no less, but only three people reached the status of a legend: Steve Yzerman, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Currently, the national team of Canada is only one NHL representatives.